


Caught Up In A Dream

by SweetIrishBean



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, Comfort, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, Gore, Hurt, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm mean to Keith again, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pidge has minor insomnia (implied), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Poor Keith, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, please comment, please stop me I can't handle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-01 05:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13991469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetIrishBean/pseuds/SweetIrishBean
Summary: Keith had a problem. Well, he had a few.And well... It wasn't like he could control his nightmares. They just came when they liked with no remorse for how little sleep he got because of them. Lance already had seemed less than happy about sharing rooms after Keith's heating went, so Keith didn't think he'd be to happy with being woken up, so he does the only thing he can think of.Try to deal alone.Unfortunately, Lance wouldn't let him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thesarcasticghost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesarcasticghost/gifts).



> Ok this came out pretty angsty but I promised thesarcasticghost some angst so I gave angst.
> 
> Next chapter will probably make up for the angst.

Keith felt his eyes go wide.

No.

No no no no no no.

“Keith, you have to,” Shiro said, voice clearly up for no debating. He stood tall, arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. Keith knew that look. He had no say.

“You are sharing with Lance,” he added, eyes going soft. Keith averted his eyes. He knew he couldn't bunk with Shiro. His PTSD got pretty bad some nights and wanted nobody to sleep with him because of it. He often had to replace his bedside table many times from when he'd wake in a sweat and accidentally smash it with his metal hand.

Keith understood, he really did. He could get how Shiro would be afraid of hurting somebody.

Pidge just shook her head saying that he wouldn't get much sleep because she stayed up most nights on her computer, and Hunk said he was told he snored pretty loudly.

But that didn't even mean anything to Keith. He didn't get much sleep anyways and he'd slept through worse than some snoring and computer keys clicking. If anything it would be a nice background noise. Still, Hunk had said he'd feel terrible if he was the reason he wasn't getting any sleep. And Keith didn't want to sleep with the princess or Coran. It just seemed intruding and wierd. Although he'd still prefer them any day over-

Lance groaned from the other side of the table. Keith watched as he scrunched up his nose. “Why? There's plenty of other rooms in the castle!”

It was obvious. There were plenty of other rooms in the castle. So why couldn't he take another room? Shiro knew about his ‘crush’ on Lance but it was not a crush. No matter what Pidge said. He just admired the Blue paladin and thought his hair looked so soft and his eyes were so blue they belonged to an art exhibition. His skills on the field were amazing and deserved more praises than he received.

Just admiring a teammate… shut up Pidge.

Shiro blanched, looking over at Allura, seemingly as clueless as they were about the room ordeal. Keith felt a small slimmer of hope blossom in his chest. Allura took one look at him as if humans were a huge unsolvable puzzle.

“Well,” she started, “the other rooms in the castle are not equipped for a paladin, especially one of… human genes.”

Keith looked away, any hope dying before it had time to bloom fully. Of course. He needed to spend a night with Lance.

“The other rooms have little heating as to preserve energy and it would take a few vargas to find the storage room and work it after all these deca-pheobs. An Altean wouldn't really mind setting their eyes in a cold room as such is a healing pod's temperature. However, humans seem to prefer warmer temperatures.” Allura glanced at Coran who raised an eyebrow at her.

“I could find it. After all, I did care for this castle in the time of Alfor and it hasn't changed much at all. Still, I'm trying to fix that ventilation first which would only take a few quintents at most,” Coran said, counting on his fingers.

That sounded… almost believable? Still, he didn't like the thought that his room was out of heat. Or why the vent busted in the first place. If anybody even entered his room they'd be chilled deeper than the bone.

Keith prefered warm temperatures like Allura said, but he _had_ lived in the desert for a year. The desert got real cold at night when he was trying to sleep. If Shiro hadn't put his foot down he'd sleep in his own room just to spite them.

Lance sighed loudly. “Only a few quintents. Fine,” he said standing, “but after that he can't go into my room at all.”

Keith set his face into a cold stare as he poked at his food goo.

Fine with him.

 

* * *

 

 

The crimson splashed against the walls of the castle, mixing with the starch white from the artificial lights shone down.

The was a figure sitting against the red stain on the wall, motionless and silent. It was like a sick picture of tranquility. No sound in space and all that, but Keith swore he could have heard a pin drop as he stared at the figure, jaw hung open.

It was Shiro.

The end of his white hair dyed in a dark red, crimson liquid dripping from the forelock, and face set in a peaceful trance, as if he was in sleep. It was almost hilarious. Devastatingly so.

It sort of was a sleep. A permanent one.

Keith felt his hands tremble as he brought one up to his mouth. What the fuck. _Whatthefuckwhatthefuck?!_

His hands were wet against his face.

He moved them in front of his chest to examine, and they came away from his face sticky and warm. No. His hands were red and warm. Far too warm. The red dripped off the end of his fingers like honey, sickeningly sticky and slow, and the smell of copper stung his nostrils.

Oh god.

His eyes shot back up to Shiro. His face was still stained with the crimson, and there was no source of the blood but it still just kept coming, dripping down in a constant slow trickle. The white light shone off his metal arm and into Keith's eyes.

Bile rose in the back of his throat as the realisation dawned on him. His hands were covered in blood. Shiro's blood.

“Oh my god.”

Keith swung round to the voice behind him.

Pidge stood in the corridor, eyes as wide as her glasses as she darted her eyes between Keith and Shiro, to Keith's bloody hands. She looked at Keith, disbelief and betrayal striking across her face. She took a step back, shock etched in her movements.

She had seen Shiro. She had seen the blood on his hands and splashed across Shiro's form. She had peice together a story of the events that had unfolded. Events that even Keith couldn't place.

Pidge let out a scream and tears ran down her cheeks. Keith's eyes widened as she activated her bayard and ran at him, green light reflecting off the metal of the walls.

Green, smashing against the red. The scream, the cackling electric of the bayard. It all smashed together as a merciless pain spread across his abdomen to the rest of his body.

He dropped to his knees and squeezed his eyes shut against the burning smell of his clothes. Pidge had shocked him. The burn lashed against his skin, stabbing like a million needles.

As if on autopilot, he reached out at the green figure. She stumbled back in surprise before advancing again, bayard poised, but Keith was already on his feet. He lashed out and caught the green, knocking her to the ground.

A second pink figure appeared, a cloud of white hair. Keith took them down by activating his knife, swiping across their chest in one fluid swipe. Blood seeped from clothes as the pink fell to their knees, a look of pain and shock pulled at their expression before they fell.

He stopped to breathe but the first green figure jumped at him again, weaker than before but still strong. A part of Keith was screaming at him to stop, to stand down, but an even greater half needed him to survive.

He kicked a leg out at the small shape, sending them across the room. They smashed against the wall with a sickening crack, falling to lay beside the black figure. The black figure covered in red. There was something there, a twinge in his stomach.

He stared at the three bodies, tongue heavy in his mouth and eyes wide. He had no doubt that the blood of the pink one had splashed against his face in a gruesome way like in some sort of horror story. Except this was real.

Pink… green. Black.

Keith blinked hard at the harsh feeling in the back of his skull. There was something there. A vacant feeling of dread and disbelief at what he had done. But what had he done?

He survived.

A series of loud explosions erupted as orange attacked him with a grace and strength he was surprised at. Why was he surprised though? They were just another threat he needed to survive through.

The punches hit against his face causing it to erupting in pain. Keith hissed and stumbled backwards, away from the attacks. Once he found his footing again, he threw his knife at the body. They stumbled slightly but weren't going down.

Keith jumped up, grabbing the knife by the handle, and twisted.

The shriek from the man echoed throughout the room, deafening him. The explosions continued raining against him from yellow.

Yellow, black, orange, pink, black, green, pink.

Something niggled at the back of his skull at the colours.

Harsh pain stabbed in his arm so he activated his shield. He had to take out the yellow if he wanted to survive this. Keith ripped his knife away from the now lifeless figure beneath him and measured his knife in his hand. The knife flew as he flicked out his wrist and sent it at the yellow attacker.

He didn't need to look to know he hit his mark. Yellow fell, like the others. He was finished. He survived.

Black, green, pink, orange, yellow.

The feeling in his skull worsened. He was missing something. But what? He took out his bayard and activated it into the sword. Something was there, niggling at the back of his mind.

Shiro, Pidge, Allura, Coran, Hunk.

Blood was splashed across almost the entire floor, against the walls… on the five figures lying motionless on the floor.

Lying in a pool of blood.

The taste of copper stung his nostrils and hung at the back of his throat. Keith sucked in air but his lungs wouldn't let him. He… he had…

Bile rose in his throat again but he forced it back.

“They're dead.” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded distant and detached. They were dead.

Shiro, his brother basically. The one who never gave up on him and believed in him when no one else had. The amazing leader and incredibly strong, not just physically.

Pidge, his friend. The first friend that understood what it was like to be left out. The one who met him in early morning and made him laugh after a rough night. The girl with more courage than anybody he'd ever known.

Allura, the incredibly generous princess who lost everything but still gave everything she had left. The one who taught him different training moves and in return he showed her how to speak earth slang to surprise the rest of the team.

Coran, space uncle. The man who had lost everything he knew and loved but never had time to grieve or show his grieving. Always trying to be upbeat and never left them without hope despite having every reason to.

Hunk, the incredibly caring and strong friend he met in the kitchen or training room. The friend who would drop everything if you needed him. The friend that let him help bake after a particularly tough night despite not knowing why it was tough.

He killed them all.

Keith dropped his sword. It clattered to the floor and the sound echoed throughout the room before it deactivated back into its simple form. Red, it was red. Far too red. So was his jacket, his paladin armour, his bayard… the blood.

A gun clicked in his ear.

“Stand down.”

Blue. Lance.

Keith glanced over at the blue paladin. Lance had his gun drawn and aimed at him. Well, he probably looked horrible. The blood of all his fellow paladins and Alteans splashed across his face and torso, blood running off his hands. His knife still stuck in Hunk's chest. It was all obvious enough that it was Keith that happened.

He snapped.

“It's- it's your fault,” he said, lips trembling, “It's all your fault. They're dead!”

Keith flinched.

“I can't believe… we trusted you and you killed them!”

Keith didn't try stop him as the shot rang out, echoing through his ears. He fell to his knees, staining the fabric on his knees with blood.

Crimson.

He doesn't think he'd ever want to see red again. The butt of Lance's gun connected with his face and the whole world went dark.

 

 

 

Keith woke in a sweat.

He couldn't breathe. Oh fuck, he couldn't breathe. He gasped air into his lungs. What did Shiro say to do?

Okay, five seconds in, five seconds out.

His lungs wouldn't budge but they were slowly allowing him to breathe again, not closing up as soon as he wanted to take a breath.

Oh god, he was so pathetic. It was a dream. A twisted messed up dream. He guessed he'd get used to them but they're just so real. He hadn't had a massacre dream in weeks though. Usually something less brash like just being rejected or killed.

He hated the ones where he had killed his fellow paladins. God, he hated them so much.

After what seemed to be forever, his breaths came easier and his lungs let him actually live. He rubbed the palms of his hands off his eyes.

God he was so pathetic.

The adrenaline wouldn't leave though, it left his hands jittery and shaking with every motion. He looked at them as he raised them up but behind them was what caught his eyes.

A light blue blanket.

Wait.

Why was he on the ground in a blanket and pillow? That wasn't his bed.

Keith jumped up, finally acting on the pent up adrenaline.

Lance was there on the bed, shifting slightly in his sleep. His face mask and eye mask looked ridiculous on him but also just seemed to fit right in. They just were so… Lance.

It was Lance. His room lost the heater. He was sleeping in Lance's room for a few quintents.

Keith grabbed his shoes and ran out the door down the hallway. The training room. He needed to get out all the frustration and adrenaline.

Sure, it wasn't the best methods but it worked… most of the time.

He activated his bayard and set the bot to fight.

The bot was fast but Keith was faster dodging attacks and giving his own. He was like a ballerina on a stage, dancing around a huge force that was trying to kill him…

Okay. Not exactly like a ballerina.

A few minutes into the fight, the bot slipped up and gave Keith an opening. He set his sword and went to finish the level, but the bots face morphed into something else.

Green.

Pidge's face stared at him, tears on her cheeks and shock drawn across her face. He could imagine the blood running from the wound Keith would inflict.

The bot took advantage of his pause and kicked him across the room. Keith rolled across the floor and pain rushed up his side.

“End simulation. End simulation!”

The bot stopped from where it stood beside Keith's form, sword positioned just above Keith's chest. It's head fell limp before it dissolved into the blue pixels, and drifted back into nothing. Like it was never there in the first place.

Keith sat up and tried to stop the sob from breaking though. Things like this only happened when it was particularly rough, when Keith took a full day to bounce back. He knew he wasn't going to eat much the next day. He knew he'd be victim to Shiro's sad looks.

Shiro knew about his dreams, because of course he did. Keith knew about his. That made it all more difficult when his face appeared in these dreams or on the bot.

Once it was Pidge's face, other times it could be Lance's, or Shiro's.

Pathetic.

He hardly processed the door opening or a blue figure running over to him. Hardly processed as he was hugged into a warm chest. All he could imagine were the faces of his new family as he killed them for the hundredth time. Or as they abandoned him or killed him for the hundredth time. As he woke up in a sweat and tried to look them in the eye the next morning and tried forget about what happened at night when they were asleep.

Lance spoke softly into his ear as tears ran down his cheeks.

Pathetic.

For once, Keith ignored the voice in his head.

_Just let me enjoy this._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance let's Keith sleep in his bed with him and...feelings are discovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay these pining idiots are more pining than I thought and originally planned... oh well.
> 
> Enjoy your pining idiots~

Lance led Keith back to his bedroom. His mind was stuck on the paladin's red eyes and unusual quiet and calm behaviour. Keith couldn't even look at him, always watching the wall move by with a distant interest.

He didn't know what had happened. He woke up and Keith was gone, blanket dishevelled and lay beside the mattress on the ground. Originally, Lance thought he was gone getting a midnight snack, because everyone knows Lance loves those, but then he remembered what Shiro had told him earlier, away from the eyes of the rest of the team.

“Sometimes he has… trouble sleeping. Just take care of him because he'll try not to bother you about it.” Shiro had told him this with a sad voice that said there was more to the story.

Still, Lance didn't want to pry into it any further. The distant look on Shiro's face for a few moments after the ‘chat’ had been enough.

The door opened with an almost silent swoosh and they walked into Lance's bedroom again for the second time. A glance at the alarm beside his bed said it was about 3am. He'd probably have dark circles under his eyes in the morning, but at the moment he found he didn't care.

Keith moved over to the mattress and sat on it.

Lance watched him with interest, and hell, he was trying not to stare but he didn't know what happened. Probably nightmares. It was like a switch flicked in Lance's brain at that. It would explain what Shiro was talking about, how the blanket was left in a way that suggested Keith left in a hurry, the training, and the breaking down in the training room.

Oh.

Lance watched as Keith lay down, facing away from him from where he was setting down on his own bed. The bed sunk under him with barly a sound and smelled of the strange but calming Altean detergent that never seemed to leave, but it seemed more like background details.

Sometimes Lance had dreams when he was younger of demons and clowns, and he'd wake in a sweat. He'd be completely terrified, too terrified to make the journey through the dark to his parents' room. Instead he'd bunk with his brother. A warm body next to him helped, especially with the real scary dreams.

He still got the occasional bad dream but it wasn't of demons or clowns, more like dying in space and his family never knowing what happened to him. They pobably already thought he was dead or never coming back.

Those nights, Lance usually went to Hunk for a warm hug and reassurances, or to Pidge because she was always up late at night, working on something or other. She was rarely asleep before two in the morning on earth time.

Lance looked back up to the outline of Keith's body. It wasn't bright enough to see but he could see the slight rise and fall of the man's chest, too fast to be actually sleeping.

Lance sighed. “Come up here,” he said, voice barley above a whisper but it was deafening in the otherwise silent room. The room was almost too silent. The castle was far too quiet at night when Lance was used to a bustling household with siblings and niblings everywhere. And God, his sister's snores were enough to wake the dead. They were even louder than Hunk's and that was saying something.

After what seemed like an eternity, Keith turned his face towards him. “What?”

Lance breathed out sharply through his nose. “You should sleep up here,” he said, patting the bed beside him. Oh god, this was stupid. Keith would never say yes to sleeping with him, even if he did need it. Through the darkness of the room, Lance could see Keith nibble on his lip in consideration… wait. He was actually considering it?

“I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to.”

Keith looked up at him, eyes somehow shining purple in the black. “No… I think I do.”

Lance smiled, wide and bright. “Well, come on then,” he pushed himself up to the pillows and paused, “do you want the inside or outside?”

Keith blinked and slowly made his way to stand up, “Outside.” And that was fair. He'd probably want to run the first chance of emergency or… other reasons.

‘He'll try not to bother you about it,’ Shiro's voice rang in his ears.

And really, Lance wanted to be bothered. He wanted to be woken up so he could help his teammate. He really did. He wanted to be the one people went to when they needed help. Usually Hunk was that person, but Lance went to Hunk aswell so he couldn't complain.

Did Keith even go to Hunk?

Probably not.

Keith only really got on with Shiro or Pidge so he guessed he wouldn't have. He was far to much of a lone wolf to go outside his circle. But here he was, accepting Lance's offer to sleep with him.

Keith lay down in the bed beside Lance, looking hesitant before he relaxed into the sheets. He was lying face away from Lance but that didn't mean he didn't get a whiff of the shampoo in Keith's hair.

It was the shampoo from orange bottle. Lance knew because he used it once but it made his hair far too poofy so he went back to his sea breeze bottles. Some hair products just didn't agree with him. Still, Lance did like the scent as Keith lay across from him. It was almost as calming when it mixed with the scent of the sheets.

Alteans had real wierd but wonderful smells. Lance turned the other way so he faced the wall. No need for this to get wierd.

Nope. Not at all.

Lance could already imagine Hunk's smirk and innocent grin when he'd tell him this. He didn't know why though. Lance just guessed it was a Hunk thing. Then again, he didn't smirk at him the time Pidge fell asleep on his shoulder. Just smiled at the Pidgeo like she was the most adorable thing in the room.

Yeah well, she wasn't dribbling on Hunk's shoulder.

Lance felt his eyes close against the adrenaline of finding Keith missing was finally fading. And well, he just hoped Keith would still be there in the morning.

 

 

 

The smell of citrus orange filled Lance's nostrils. It was sweet, welcome and comforting. Like when he'd wake up on earth and everything was muted but he could smell his dog's shampoo next to his face. They were the mornings after they washed Coconut, and for some reason she always wanted to sleep with Lance.

His sister wasn't too happy about that. Then again, Lance didn't blame poor Coconut. She wouldn't get any sleep with the snoring that went on. Lance didn't even care that his bed would be covered in brown hairs because his dog usually smelled of coconut… it was a joke his neice chose.

Lance tried to breathe in the scent but there was a weight on his chest. As he slowly cracked his eyes open he was assaulted with the sight of dark hair. It tickled his nose but god it was soft.

Realisation finally settled in Lance's muggy brain.

Keith lay across his chest and was breathing softly, his hair smelled of citrus orange and he was oh so not ready for this. He had his hands wrapped around Lance's back in the same way Lance had been hugging Keith into him.

He was not prepared for this.

Not before 8am anyways.

Lance sucked in a breath as he tried to move Keith off him. Keith stirred and started to mumble.

“Lan- Lance?” His voice was filled with sleep and that was totally not adorable or cute. Nope.

“Yeah?”

Keith didn't answer, and Lance was relieved he didn't wake him. He guessed that Keith wouldn't take that too well to find that they were hugging. Oh god, they were hugging. Hunk would be making the face at him when he told him. The face where he knows something Lance doesn't but he. won't. tell. him. what.

Lance sighed as his stomach growled at him. Well, he guessed he was feeling hungry. Slowly, Lance wormed his way out of the bed, all the while not trying to jostle the sleeping Keith. He looked like he needed the rest.

As Lance stood up, he heard a soft rustling behind him and he couldn't help but turn. Keith had already taken up the space he had occupied before. A sigh left Lance's lips as he stuck his feet into his slippers and walked out of his room, trying to banish the picture of a very cat like and adorable Keith from his head.

Why was he even getting these thoughts? Adorable?

As he walked into the dining room he noticed Hunk on the other side of the room preparing something. He was far too focused in what he was doing to notice Lance so he walked over and practically fell into his usual seat, giving a loud sigh. Lance dropped his head onto the table with a loud thunk. Why was Keith like this? Why couldn't he go back to being the edgy emo paladin and rival. A burning in his chest made itself known. Oh god, why?!

He could hear a faint laugh. “Rough night? What'd he do?”

Lance turned his head without lifting it off the table. Nope, he was too dramatic to lift his head yet. Hunk was there smiling at him with an eyebrow cocked. He was raising a glass of what Lance could only guess was purple water to his lips. Oh if only Hunk knew. It wasn't something Keith had done… sort of?

Lance sighed, “I don't know… we slept together last night.”

Hunk instantly started to sputter as he spat the drink over the floor, and he started coughing. Lance blinked. What had he said? All he said was that Keith had slept in his bed last night? But as Hunk finally stopped coughing he looked at Lance with comically wide eyes.

“What?! You did the do with you know who?!”

Oh. No! Now it was Lance's turn to sputter ad he finally took his head off the table. Not that way! No way, not that way ever! Ever? No! Not ever! “Not that way. Hunk!”

“Then what way?! Come on, you can't give me a heart attack so early!”

Lance scrunched up his nose, heart still beating far too fast. Just the thought of…

“Come onnn Lance!”

Lance sighed. “Fine,” he said, “you may want to sit.” He waited for Hunk to bring over two plates of what he was making and as soon as Hunk sat down opposite him, he raised an eyebrow. “Space pancakes?”

Hunk tutted at him, “One, just try them. Two, don't try to change the subject.”

Okay, he wasn't getting out of this. He sighed, “Okay, did you know that Keith gets night terrors?” Hunk shook his head, eyes turning sympathetic, but Lance continued before he could loose his train of thought, “Well, apparently Shiro told me he tries not to bother you about it but I wake up and find him gone so I try to look for him because he can't be eating at midnight because he doesn't seem like that kind of person but then I find him crying in the training room and I bring him back and offer to let him sleep in my bed with me.

“I used to feel better with someone next to me but thought he'd say no but he says yes and we sleep together,” Lance finally took in a deep breath, ignoring Hunk's widening eyes.

“Okay? Just remember to breathe while you're at it.”

Lance just continued, “But the worst part is I wake up this morning with oranges and his hair in my face and we were hugging, Hunk. Hugging!” At that, Hunk's face very slowly broke into a sly smile. Ugh, why did he tell him this?

“Okay,” Hunk said, and Lance furrowed his eyebrows at him. He was taking this very… professionally… if you took out the giant smirk. “Were you the big spoon or the little spoon?”

“Hunk!” Okay, there was the Hunk he knew.

“What?” Hunk asked, shrugging, “these are important questions.”

Lance could have died there and then. Just spare his soul already. Please. Of course Hunk was just showing an interest in his life…a really big interest, but it made Lance want to crawl into bed and ignore his growing feelings before they took over. Of course, he couldn't do that because the cause of his feelings were currently in his bed.

Hunk laughed softly at him. Lance pouted at him. Why did he have to have these feelings?

Hunk's eyes darted up to the door, shock etched on his face for a split second before he broke into a grin. “Hey Keith,” he said, and Lance stiffened. Keith was here? Well...He lived here. Why wouldn't he be here? Lance watched as Keith shot Hunk a smile way softer than he'd ever seen on him before. Hunk continued, “I made space pancakes.”

Keith nodded as he headed over, “I can see that.” He grabbed a plate and sat in his usual spot beside Lance. Did it have to be beside Lance?

Yes. Of course it was.

 

 

 

The day went by without a hitch. If anything it was pretty boring. No battles, no calls, no nothing. Usually Lance would rejoice for a day like this but something was different. His mind kept wandering to Shiro's words and Keith's unusual behaviour. It all pointed to nightmares but it seemed more serious than that. He couldn't put his finger on it.

As he was applying his face mask for the night he heard the door swoosh open. Keith looked at Lance for a split second before he sat down on the bed on the floor.

What? Had he not enjoyed sleeping with Lance last night?

Okay, he really needed to stop thinking with those exact words. Lance mentally shuddered.

Still, he watched as the red paladin took off his boots. Keith looked up but Lance didn't bother with looking away, not even when he raised an eyebrow at him. “Aren't you going to sleep up here?” he asked, patting the bed beside him.

A look of surprise passed over Keith's face. Had- had he not expected Lance to let him sleep in his bed again? That wasn't right. Mis mother would have forced him to sleep with Lance for the rest of his life if she knew.

“That wasn't…just last night?”

Lance blanched. “No. Get up here before I drag you up myself.” Keith sighed but was a bit faster to join him than the night before. Well, he supposed that this time Keith knew he wasn't just messing and that Lance wouldn't stop until he gave in.

As Keith settled beside him again he found himself surprised at the realisation that he wouldn't mind if they woke up cuddling again. But he wasn't pining for Keith, no matter what the looks Hunk gave him meant. Right?

Lance's eyes widened, and he was glad the reason for his sudden inner pain wasn't facing him. At least he wouldn't see his tormented face.

Oh no.

He had feelings for Keith fucking Kogane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed the number of chapters go up but that's bc I didn't realise I couldn't fit the ending into my usual 2-3k chapters. Yay?
> 
> Anyways, please drop a comment bc I am living off strangers' opinions off the internet to keep me motivated and writing. Ya feel?
> 
> I've already started the 3rd chapter and the Easter holidays are coming up soon so don't fear. I'll have it up as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance realises that Keith is faring for the worse and decides to do something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! This came a few days later than I would have like but! I stayed within my 3 chapters!! I'd like to thank everybody who left a comment and kudos! You were the ones who really kept me on track!
> 
> I love every one of you! <3

No matter how much Lance had wanted to sleep that night, he found it especially difficult after his very sudden realisation. He liked Keith. He was pining for Keith with no hope of Keith liking him back.

Eventually Lance had managed to get to sleep, only to dream of a certain mullet wielding red paladin smiling at him and laughing as they cooked together. The details such as what food they were making, or who cleaned up the mess they made afterward were a bit blurry, but Lance could remember in full detail as he leaned in and pecked a kiss on his teammate's nose, laughing as it scrunched up after.

How he was in so deep after a few hours of knowing, he didn't know.

What he did know though was a kicking and tossing beside him.

Lance blinked his eyes open in a sense of déja-vu. He half expected Keith to be found missing again, but as he turned around, he saw the person in question. Keith's face was twisted in pain and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He was tossing about, whimpering every now and again, seemingly mid night terror.

Lance's heart ached at the sight as he reached a hand out and started to run the strands of raven hair through his fingers. He tried to ignore how soft it was as he sat up a bit.

“Keith,” he said, “Keith, it's okay. I'm here, you're okay.”

Keith turned towards Lance, mouth slightly parted. “Lance?” he asked, sleep overtaking his voice.

Lance smiled. “Yeah. I'm here. You're safe.”

Keith mumbled something unclear as he hugged himself closer to Lance's side. The blue paladin's heart ached harder at the sight, but at least Keith had stopped tossing. Actually, Keith seemed as though he was falling back into a more pleasant sleep.

Lance sighed as he lay back on the pillow.

His theory for Keith and night terrors becoming more real and serious than he imagined.

 

The morning came slower than Lance would have liked, but when it finally reached he was glad to open his eyes and find Keith latched onto him. It was cute, almost adorable.

It worried Lance how easily those thoughts came to him.

The rumbling of his stomach was enough to remind him that people usually needed to eat in the mornings, but as he made to get up the Keith beside him in the bed decided to latch on to him as if his life depended on it.

Lance smiled. “I'm just going to get something to eat,” he said and he dropped a small kiss onto the top of his head. The messy strands tickled at his nose for the split second before Lance paused, whole body going stiff.

He just kissed Keith. In real life…not a dream.

What the hell?

“Chill, Lance. It's just your mother instincts,” he tried to tell himself, shaking his head. “Hunk gets them all the time.” Lance got up off the bed as the koala hugged the pillow instead of Lance. Before he could comment he quickly turned and left. Nope, no gay thoughts here.

Lance sighed at himself, he whined sadly at himself, and god he was so pathetic. “You have to get yourself under control,” Lance said, and heck, he was only in this made up imaginary relationship for a few hours. And being honest, it was probably one sided anyways.

But hell, he could imagine. He already sleeps next the the guy so he could imagine that he could wake up next to that face every morning and they'd laugh together as he'd pepper small kisses over his nose.

Lance felt himself collide with something.

“You alright there Lance?”

Lance looked up and met brown eyes looking confusedly into his. “Yeah. Just spaced out there for a second...no pun intended.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow at him. “Ya sure?”

“Yup. You have breakfast yet?” He tried to ignore Pidge's looks, he really did, but he suspected that she already knew what Hunk did. Was he really that obvious?

 

Keith woke with a low growl in his stomach. Was he really that hungry? The answering pain showed him that yes, he was in fact that hungry. He yawned and stretched, abandoning hugging the pillow for the satisfying pop of his joints.

He hadn't slept like that in…well, in a while. He felt refreshed after almost no nightmares attacked him, and he suspected that it had something to do with a certain blue paladin.

Looking around he noted that he was in Lance's bed rather than on the ground, and what had he expected? Fall asleep on the bed and wake on the floor again? Keith shook his head at himself as he tentatively sat up. Lance was missing again, just like the morning before, but it was fine. Not like he had looked foward to seeing Lance wake up next to him…

Because he didn't.

As he stood up, his feet reminded him just how long he hadn't been standing on them. His feet were cramped, and well. He usually didn't lie down for a full night, usually just a few hours at a time.

When his feet finally stopped aching, he began making his way to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

 

Over the next few days, Lance either woke to Keith hugged close into his side, or mid night terror. During the former he'd usually leg it to the kitchen with the excuse of getting food, and tell Hunk about how Keith was going to be the death of him.

Keith usually woke to an empty bed, or Lance sleeping soundly beside him. He'd rather not admit to Shiro or Pidge that he preferred the latter. He'd never hear the end of it if he did.

Still, he found that he was getting more sleep than before. Despite the two boys dancing on egg shells around each other, they'd worked a routine together. Keith woke feeling refreshed and nightmare free, able to look his fellow paladins in the eye because he hadn't just brutally murdered or been murdered by them.

Lance was feeling as though he was doing good when Keith was more alert in missions and doing better in training...and he secretly did enjoy those mornings when he woke to Keith snuggled into him.

Still, when Coran had bounded in on the team having lunch not a week later saying that Keith's heating was all fixed up and the mice had just damaged it by sticking pebbles into the pipes, Keith had frowned and stared and his food goo. It was like that first day when he was told he had to sleep in Lance's room, except now his feeling were more like a gooey mess that he wasn't ready to figure out.

He didn't do emotions well. He thought if he just ignored them they'd go away, but they still had to. Keith had realised that feeling don't just…go.

As Keith looked up, he saw Lance in the same way. He was staring at where the ceiling connected to the wall with great interest, obviously deep in thought. Keith sighed. Was he even ready to go back to having those nightmares again? Or distance himself from the person who had made him feel somewhat more than a platonic love for the first time in months? 

He didn't know.

He didn't want to know.

Keith looked away from Lance, and it was Shiro who caught his eye. Shiro smiled at him from across the dining room table, seemingly oblivious to his inner thoughts.

Yeah. He'll be fine.

Or at least he hoped he would.

 

 

The nightmares didn't stop. 

As Keith tossed and turned, the images flickered through his head, spreading from bad to worse like wildfire. It was terrible. This time it was Lance. Lance had smiled at him, and Keith had smiled back.

It seemed so real as they leaned closer together, lips barely touching. Lance's blue eyes slid closed. Keith had grown content, the feel of Lance's breath evident on his lips.

Then, Lance had opened his eyes, now full of hatred as he heard the sound of a bayard activating. It had hurt as Lance shot him, not killing him yet.

No. That would have been too easy for Keith. 

His head had to mess with him because as he lay clutching at his abdomen, Lance had looked at him with pure anger and hatred. Blood seeped through Keith's fingers as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding. Keith looked back up to Lance, shock drawn to his features.

“What?” Lance laughed, eyes crinkling. It should have been fine, it really should have. “You actually thought I could love somebody like you?” 

Keith flinched, a sob escaping from his throat, and he knew it wasn't all from the pain and bleeding. It was the pain of betrayal.

It should have been fine.

But as Lance had brought up his gun once again, Keith had invited death. Lance had paused though. “I didn't even want to share rooms with you in the first place. You thought that sharing the bed would make any difference?” 

Keith felt a tear slip down his face. Lance was right.

He usually was.

As the gun was raised, Keith was finally relieved with his death.

 

 

Over the next few days, Lance had grown worried with the red paladin. He was more tired and short fused than ever. Hell, he was even knocked out first in the team training.

First!

Usually he'd be one of the last ones tapped out by the gladiator.

Lance could easily say that he was as suspicious as ever as he looked over to see Keith staring into space...no pun intended.

Lance tried knocking him out of it with an extremely clever call about his emo phase that never quit, but he just kept staring through the vacant chair like it was his business.

That was when Lance decided to do something about it.

 

It was late at night. Very late, and his heart was beating in his chest. It was beating too fast and god it was hard to breathe. He could turn and go. Wait until morning. Then Keith would be awake and actually able to ask him without Keith's stupid voice thick with adorable sleepiness and...ugh!

No, he had to do it.

He raised a hand and knocked. Three times in a quick succession.

Okay, he's actually doing this.

Move outta the way bad thoughts. It'll be fine.

Keith opened the door, more awake than Lance had thought he would be. Agh! Just go for it.

“Can I sleep with you?”

Keith let a sliver of surprise pass through the cracks before he steered right back in on the usual deadpan, void of any emotion. “Are you messing with me?”

Lance pulled back as though he'd been burned. “What? No, I'm really asking if I could sleep here...with you.”

Keith still didn't seem impressed. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Did Shiro put you up to this?”

“No?” Why would Shiro put him up to this? Keith scrutinised him with his gaze for a second longer before sighing and stepping aside.

Lance accepted his…vague invite, and stepped into the room. It was warm, so Coran had fixed the heating. Lance didn't know why but he had expected it to be cold. The room was bare bar a few pebbles and a crystal on the bedside table, and a sketchbook shoved down between it and the bed. There were paint stains of different colours on the bed sheets that were probably too difficult to wash out, even with strange Altean detergent.

Keith liked collecting stones?

He liked art?

Well, he had to like something other than knives and training right? Most people had more healthy hobbies than that.

Keith raised an eyebrow at him as he slipped into the bed. Had…he not wanted the outside? He had in Lance's room so why wouldn't he in his own. Did he want the inside?

“Why are you here?” Keith asked, voice sharp and cutting. Lance startled at the suddenness of it.

“…what?”

Keith hardened his gaze. “Why are you here?” Lance was still lost. He looked confusedly at him. What was he talking about? “You're obviously not here because you want to be.”

Lance's eyes widened. “What are you…”

Keith rolled his eyes at him. “Come on,” he said, backing up a step, “From day one, it was obvious you didn't want to share your room in the first place. You even said ‘after I can't go into your room at all’. That doesn't sound like somebody who wants you around.”

Lance stared, jaw hung. He…he had said that. But… “But that was before!”

Keith glared at him. “Before what?”

Oh.

That- that was before he had sorted out his feelings for him. Before he even knew there was feelings there. Before he even knew his bi ass was into red and leather jackets and waking to the scent of orange in the morning.

That was before he knew he had feelings for Keith.

Keith sighed. “See. There's no excuse for—”

“Before I realised I liked you.”

Keith stopped. Lance could swear his heart stopped the moment the words left his mouth. There was no going back now. It was out there. A big awkward elephant in the room. Keith slowly brought his eyes up to meet Lance's. Lance stood up off the bed, and he was almost terrified by his sudden burst of confidence.

“I like you Keith.”

Keith gawked at him.

“I like how you don't stop training until you get to the level you want, even though you need to eat and I need to drag you to the kitchen. I like how I woke up with the scent of orange but it was so you. I like how your mullet is so soft that my own hair is jealous,” he took a step foward, not breaking eye contact with Keith. His own eyes were probably filling with tears but he couldn't stop.

Keith only stood there, staring at him with shock drawn on his face, dark violet eyes also filling with tears.

“I like how when you get nightmares, me rubbing your hair calms you down. I like how I wake with you cuddling into my side and you trust me enough to…just...” Lance looked down, “you trust me.”

Keith stood right in front of him, not moving away. Lance took that as a good sign…or maybe he was too shocked to move.

“I- I like you. Keith.”

The red paladin snapped his jaw shut, and finally spoke. “What?”

Lance laughed but it tasted bitter. “You want me to say it again?”

Keith shook his head, a small smile finally gracing his lips. “I- I like you too.”

“You…what?”

Keith stepped foward, closing the already small gap between them. Keith looked into his eyes, and for a moment they painted a picture of contented. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Lance didn't have to be told twice. In barely a second the gap between them closed. Neither were sure who moved first, possibly both of them, but Lance was swept away in the feeling of soft lips on his. Keith's lips.

Keith didn't really have a specific taste like most of the people in the romantic books his sister used to read, but Lance was glad. After all, he could have had morning breath. Still, Keith did taste slightly of the orange, and was Keith eating his shampoo?

He had to quench that thought as soon as it came in case he started laughing.

As Lance deepened the kiss, Keith's soft hair tickled his forehead and he got a whiff of the citrus orange that Lance had somewhere started to associate with Keith. Sure, Shiro used the same shampoo, but to Lance it was all Keith's.

As they finally pulled away for breath, Lance looked into violet eyes. They were filled with happy tears, and he didn't doubt that his own looked the same. Keith looked slightly dazed at the time of 1am. Pidge would be up probably tinkering with something, but other than her the castle would be the epitome of peace and quiet.

It was late enough to stay up, but probably too late to confess your love to somebody without rain beating down on you.

God, Lance missed rain.

But as Lance smiled at Keith and Keith smiled back, he decided.

This was better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!! My first multi chapter fic I actually managed to finish!! Don't forget to leave a comment.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @[honey-bow](https://honey-bow.tumblr.com) on tumblr. Feel free to rant about anything in my ask box or message me over there.


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